Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[RedheadDane]

Career-wise, which is the subject, the results are obvious.

And you simply know his results would've been better if he had changed teams at some point?

 

[lenric]

And you simply know his results would've been better if he had changed teams at some point?

No, but his failure at GTs suggest he needs a new approach.
Moreover, I'm entitled to my own opinion.

 

[RedheadDane]

No, but his failure at GTs suggest he needs a new approach.
Moreover, I'm entitled to my own opinion.

Well, I have the opinion, that it's probably best to trust that he knows what he's doing.

 

[lenric]

Well, I have the opinion, that it's probably best to trust that he knows what he's doing.

Agree to disagree

 

[Breezy1985]

No, but his failure at GTs suggest he needs a new approach.
Moreover, I'm entitled to my own opinion.

Maybe he just likes GTs despite his history with them

 

[Bolder]

Ach, was really hoping he'd hoping he'd at least win a stage. I've said this before but it's not that he's mentally weak, but I think his focus might wander a bit, leading to unnecessary crashes etc.

I love him in one day races but I'm starting to cringe when he's in iGT. A better team might also be able to protect him, too..

 

[RedheadDane]

Maybe he just likes GTs despite his history with them

And even more importantly; he clearly likes riding for FDJ.

 

[Red Rick]

Looks who's mentally weak again

 

[Rackham]

Looks who's mentally weak again

Honestly, being mentally weak manifests itself in more than the obvious direction, i.e. it would have been mentally "stronger" to simply withdraw after his crash in Nice on stage one of the Tour & say "I'm going to focus on the Vuelta now", instead of clinging to a "I must finish the Tour de France" mindset just to prove naysayers wrong or make a point to himself.

But it's reached the point where I assume there's a problem we're not aware of. It's just too much now because the misfortune he faced on that first stage (or when he abandoned the Tour last year) always seems to have catastrophic consequences for Pinot whilst others (such as Roglic himself with the "worst crash of his career" two weeks before the Tour this year in the Dauphiné) just get on with it.

Pinot is at a crossroad in his career & he IMO can't afford another season like this one.

 

[macbindle]

Looks who's mentally weak again

8 GT DNFs vs 6 GT finishes.

The unluckiest GT contender in the history of cycling

 

[RedheadDane]

7 DNFs... but how's that possible?

Tour: finished four times - four DNFs.
Vuelta: finished two times - two DNFs
Giro: finished once - one DNF.

Shouldn't the number of finishes and the number of DNFs be the same? Is he breaking math or something like that?

Nevermind; it is 7:7! So glad my brain isn't broken after all!

 

[fbjim]

I still thibelieve.

 

[macbindle]

7 DNFs... but how's that possible?

Tour: finished four times - four DNFs.
Vuelta: finished two times - two DNFs
Giro: finished once - one DNF.

Shouldn't the number of finishes and the number of DNFs be the same? Is he breaking math or something like that?

Nevermind; it is 7:7! So glad my brain isn't broken after all!

Yep, my bad: 7:7

In my head I counted 2020 TdF as a DNF because of the amount of whining he did

 

[roundabout]

give some examples of the 'whining' that he did then if they were so numerous

unless those are also only in your head

 

[macbindle]

He is even named after a variety of whine

 

[fbjim]

give some examples of the 'whining' that he did then if they were so numerous

unless those are also only in your head

If anything he seemed unusually phlegmatic about his back issues in the Pyrenees, given his emotions last year.

 

[Leinster]

Career-wise, which is the subject, the results are obvious.

He’s won a monument, stages in all GTs, and a podium in the TdF. He has a good palmares, all at the same team. It wasn’t Madiot who smashed his knee against his handlebar last year, or took a lead pipe to his back this year.

 

[Leinster]

Maybe he just likes GTs despite his history with them

This is the thing for me. I couldn’t believe when I found out he’s never raced the Ardennes, and I really hope he does next hear. If he should switch anything in his preparation, I think it should be to ditch some of the 1-week stage races and ride some classics.

I would think it a terrible waste of a career as a climber to never even attempt Liege.

 

[lenric]

He’s won a monument, stages in all GTs, and a podium in the TdF. He has a good palmares, all at the same team. It wasn’t Madiot who smashed his knee against his handlebar last year, or took a lead pipe to his back this year.

He views himself as a GT rider, podium contender. He has one podium. In 2014.
It wasn't Madiot that smashed his knee against the handlebar, or whatever. I didn't say Madiot is at fault, neither am I interesting in discussing those kind of shenanigans.
What I'm saying, and I thought it was obvious, is that people sometimes need to change their sorroundings to overcome whatever that is preventing them from performing at their best and achieving success in their pursuits.

 

[Breezy1985]

This is the thing for me. I couldn’t believe when I found out he’s never raced the Ardennes, and I really hope he does next hear. If he should switch anything in his preparation, I think it should be to ditch some of the 1-week stage races and ride some classics.

I would think it a terrible waste of a career as a climber to never even attempt Liege.

Especially one who has won Lombardia

 

[Breezy1985]

He views himself as a GT rider, podium contender. He has one podium. In 2014.
It wasn't Madiot that smashed his knee against the handlebar, or whatever. I didn't say Madiot is at fault, neither am I interesting in discussing those kind of shenanigans.
What I'm saying, and I thought it was obvious, is that people sometimes need to change their sorroundings to overcome whatever that is preventing them from performing at their best and achieving success in their pursuits.

What had Thomas before his miracle conversion to TdF winner ?

 

[lenric]

What had Thomas before his miracle conversion to TdF winner ?

I don't know, never followed, nor cared about Thomas.

 

[Leinster]

He views himself as a GT rider, podium contender. He has one podium. In 2014.
It wasn't Madiot that smashed his knee against the handlebar, or whatever. I didn't say Madiot is at fault, neither am I interesting in discussing those kind of shenanigans.
What I'm saying, and I thought it was obvious, is that people sometimes need to change their sorroundings to overcome whatever that is preventing them from performing at their best and achieving success in their pursuits.

You said he was stupid for staying with the team that has given him all the not-inconsiderable success he has had.

What I'm saying, and I thought this too was obvious, is that FDJ didn't cost him all those possible podiums. He's had some huge performances, and some terrible luck. I think he's a talented rider, but not quite on the level of talent of some of the GT winners leading some of the big teams; if he were to join Jumbo, or Ineos, or even UAE now, he would be a super-domestique. If he were to join AG2R or Lotto-Soudal, it would just be a step sideways for no gain. And Movistar, well...

 

[Breezy1985]

I don't know, never followed, nor cared about Thomas.

Nothing. Which is a lot less than Pinot and I could pull other riders too

 

[lenric]

You said he was stupid for staying with the team that has given him all the not-inconsiderable success he has had.

No, the decision was stupid. Whether he's stupid I leave it up to you to consider.

What I'm saying, and I thought this too was obvious, is that FDJ didn't cost him all those possible podiums. He's had some huge performances, and some terrible luck. I think he's a talented rider, but not quite on the level of talent of some of the GT winners leading some of the big teams; if he were to join Jumbo, or Ineos, or even UAE now, he would be a super-domestique. If he were to join AG2R or Lotto-Soudal, it would just be a step sideways for no gain. And Movistar, well...

Never said FDJ has cost him whatever you might believe I imagined they had cost him. In fact, I didn't criticize FDJ.
What I do believe, however, is that he has a GT (not the Tour) and more podiums on him (or had before the uprising of this new generation). And perhaps because of his will to stay in the same environment (either because of a feeling of comfort, or anything else), regardless of him not achieving the results he wanted, preventend him from exploring other options that might have enabled him to live up to his own expectations in GTs.

Perhaps you think less of him than I do, or you have a different opinion, but that's it: different opinions.